It’s been seven years since the Grenfell Tower fire took the lives of 72 people, making it the deadliest UK fire since World War II. Following months of testimony, a newly released 1,671-page final report brought to light everything that went wrong before and during the tragedy at the west London high-rise apartment building. 

Martin Moore-Bick, a retired judge who chaired the public inquiry, said government officials, regulators, emergency responders, and construction personnel all contributed to the deadly fire. He cited “incompetence” among all of them and suggested “dishonesty and greed” as also playing a factor. 

Announcing the report’s release, Martin Moore-Bick said the deaths “were all avoidable.”

In October 2019, Moore-Bick released a phase one report that underscored concerns about corporate responsibility and the regulatory framework for building materials in the UK. He identified the building’s cladding, which is a coating on walls and materials, as facilitating the smoke and fire once it got going. A former product manager for the cladding manufacturer Celotex said selling the company’s products after they failed a fire test was “completely unethical.”

The 2019 report also blamed the London Fire Brigade and its “stay put” policy, which was standard procedure for high-rise buildings at the time. For nearly two hours after the fire started, firefighters urged residents in the building to remain where they were. This likely contributed to the loss of life, as many residents followed the instructions to remain in their flats. 

Before sharing its final findings on Wednesday, the committee spent seven years conducting 1,600 witness statements and 300 public hearings, according to The Washington Post. The inquiry aimed to identify the root causes of Grenfell Tower’s hazardous conditions, so that the construction industry and policymakers can prevent future similar disasters.

To date, there have been no individual criminal charges in connection with the fire or its aftermath. The London Metropolitan Police says it will use the report’s new findings to investigate the possibility.